View Full Version : Ex Swissair pilot reported crashed on Basel
Few Cloudy
23rd Jul 2007, 11:53
Swiss TV is reporting the crash of an attempted non stop8,000 km flight from Basel to USA in a what sounded according the fire service to be a Stearman with extra tanks onto a house in Basel.
An ex-Swissair pilot was at the controls. Flight was to have commemorated Lindbergh's solo epic.
No reasons so far - pilot (unnamed) dead. Houses caught fire.
FC.
Al Fakhem
23rd Jul 2007, 12:05
More here:
http://www.baz.ch/news/index.cfm?ObjectID=F28412B2-1422-0CEF-7074935045F09B13
PaperTiger
23rd Jul 2007, 15:56
and here http://www.aeroexplorer.biz/The_Polar_Frontier/Documentation_The_Polar_Frontier.pdf
Not a Stearman.
Few Cloudy
23rd Jul 2007, 16:15
As quoted in the German speaking news articles above, It was ex Capt. Hans Georg Schmidt, flying an experimental aircraft according the latest news.
Schmidt had already flown twice round the globe in each direction in a Long Eze. He had built the experimental himself.
6 people now quoted as being hurt.
RIP
AN2 Driver
23rd Jul 2007, 16:43
Capt. Hans-Georg Schmid has died in this crash of his experimental Express 2000 ER after take off in Basel to Oshkosh. The airplane had only flown for the first time a few weeks ago, he had been planning several long range flights with it. Previously, Hans-Georg Schmid has achieved several world records in his Long Eze, which he piloted on several long range flights. Before 2002 he flew as an MD11 Captain with Swissair and retired prematurely after a distinguished career.
May he rest in peace. There are not many like him these days and he will be sorely missed.
R.I.P. HG
Glad I could help you ever so slightly on the first one... you will keep our dreams alive...
ä truurige Tag :(
live 2 fly 2 live
The Times: Children flee as pilot’s homemade plane explodes in school playground (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2127775.ece)
An adventurer attempting to fly across the Atlantic in a homemade aircraft was killed yesterday, after crashing into a block of flats just five minutes after take-off and falling in flames into a crowded playground. All 19 children at the nursery school escaped without injury, even though burning fuel was sprayed across the local neighbourhood. Debris from the accident was scattered over the residential district, with a section of the undercarriage and flight instruments lying in the street.
Hans Georg Schmid, an experienced Swiss pilot with dozens of endurance records to his name, had planned to fly nonstop for 30 hours from Mulhouse, in eastern France, to the US in a light aircraft that he had built himself to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the first solo transatlantic crossing by Charles Lindbergh. But his adventure went horribly wrong immediately after take-off, when his Express 2000 ER plane crashed into a residential area of Basel, in Switzerland.
“There was a loud bang,” said Silvia Kalman, a supervisor who was looking after the children. “A jungle gym burst into flames, but none of the children was injured.” Mr Schmid’s body was later recovered from the playground. Police marked his belongings with white chalk circles. Six people suffered minor injuries, including four fire officers and two residents in the block of flats. All were released from hospital within hours. “It is a miracle that there weren’t any more victims,” said Markus Melzl, a spokesman for Basel’s prosecutor’s office.
The aircraft, named Polar Frontier by Mr Schmid, was carrying 1,700 litres of fuel, required by the pilot to cover the 5,000 miles that separated him from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “We avoided the worst, a few metres away there’s a hospital,” said Medor Jach, head of the regional fire brigade. Emanuel Kramer, a resident, said: “I was at home when I heard a big explosion followed by two or three smaller ones. When I looked out of the window I saw a huge column of black smoke billowing into the sky.”
Mr Schmid, or HG as he was known, aimed to break the 5,000-mile speed record as a prelude to what he hoped would be his crowing glory this year – circling the world twice, north-bound and southbound. The 58-year-old former Swissair pilot planned to cross the North Pole in the darkness and fly over the Pacific during the hurricane and typhoon season, despite the challenge of strong winds, extreme temperatures and two landings in Antarctica.
Mr Schmid, who claimed to hold 162 aviation records, spent six years building the composite aircraft that was to take him on the transatlantic crossing and then on the round-the-world-flights. Powered by a Lycoming engine and equipped with long-range fuel tanks, the aircraft was declared airworthy on May 26 and had its maiden flight on June 12. Vincent Devauchelle, the deputy director of the Mulhouse airport, said that the aircraft had run into difficulty soon after take-off. He said that the Swiss Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, of which Mr Schmid had been a member for ten years, would hold an inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.
The pilot had been planning to take part in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Airventure gathering in Wisconsin this week. Up to 750,000 spectators and 10,000 aircraft from around the world are expected at the event.
Mr Schmid had 31 years’ experience as a pilot, including ten years as a Swissair captain. He had said that he had 16,000 hours of flying experience, and had sought to attract sponsors with a claim that he was a well-known personality in Switzerland........
As well as building aircraft and setting aviation records, Hans Georg Schmid spent 31 years as a commercial airline pilot captaining passenger aircraft.
— He circumnavigated the world twice in 2000, once eastbound and once westbound. He built his own aircraft, the Long-EZ. The journey of about 50,000 nautical miles (92,600km) took some 400 hours over 27 days
— Schmid had logged more than 16,000 hours of flight experience and had served as a member of the Swiss Accident Investigation Board........
Volume
24th Jul 2007, 06:52
The Facts (http://www.bfu.admin.ch/common/pdf/HB-YMN.pdf) so far.
A300Man
24th Jul 2007, 07:07
Whilst semantically and technically correct, the title of this thread is alarming when it appears in the menu preview. Could I politely suggest it is modified slightly?
Many thanks.
Few Cloudy
24th Jul 2007, 08:45
There is some speculation following reports that Schmidt had delayed the flight from Saturday to Monday and been concerned about his trim - finally loading ballast soon before leaving. Then, according to reporters who were there to cover the event, the ship "failed to gain height" after take off.
He must have realised pretty soon, that he was not going to make it. No turn was attempted and the motor was still audibly running according witnesses at the crash site.
FC.
jewitts
24th Jul 2007, 09:48
Whilst it is sad that this Mr. Schmid died in his attempt to fly across the atlantic, it would seem reckless in the extreme that he was allowed to take-off in a South-easterly direction over the town of Basel with an experimental aircraft more than fully loaded with fuel. Where it came back to earth was virtually the first built-up area of the town, if he had gone another kilometer then there could have been many more casualties on the ground. As it was, the people of North Basel had a lucky escape!!!
For pictures of the damage caused see: http://www.baz.ch/news/index.cfm?ObjectID=F28412B2-1422-0CEF-7074935045F09B13
EK380
24th Jul 2007, 10:31
Friend of mine... He will be missed !
Great guy & great achievements in his previous aircraft, Rutan Long-ez. Millenium flight; around the world speed record East bound, one day in ZRH and then straight off west bound for another around the world trip! All in less than 60days.
Have a look at http://www.millenniumflight.com/
This transatlantic flight was only a proof of concept flight, for his planned "Polar Frontier flight", this coming fall. Two around the world trips, over both poles.
Once again, for those interested, have a look at
http://www.aeroexplorer.biz/The_Polar_Frontier/Documentation_The_Polar_Frontier.pdf
Condolences to his family and may he rest in peace!
atakacs
24th Jul 2007, 10:35
Both links above broken :(
it would seem reckless in the extreme that he was allowed to take-off in a South-easterly direction over the town of Basel with an experimental aircraft more than fully loaded with fuel. Indeed.
Is there any factual info on line about his prototype aircraft ?
EK380
24th Jul 2007, 10:46
Links should work now!
AN2 Driver
24th Jul 2007, 19:48
Aeroexplorer site is unavailable now. Did anyone save the PDF before that? PM appreciated.
For those who are interested in just what a guy this was, have a look at
http://www.milleniumflight.com and
http://fly.to/sat98
Both make very interesting reading and have been favorite reading spots for me whenever I have had a chance.
Swiss TV today showed some videos of the pre-flight preparation and the actual take off.
http://www.sfdrs.tv
It does indeed appear that the plane lifted off all right but then never gained altitude nor accelerates significantly.
Looking at the take off video, the airplane seems to get off the runway in ground effect. The speed, though obviously difficult to judge, seems pretty "slow". The aircraft then goes thru a serie of lateral waggles, then a slight pitch down, all possibly indicating a lack of flying speed (for the weight?), i.e. flying close to stall...
Still in a state of shock...
Once more, a very sad day for the Swiss light aviation scene, the EAS, and of course the friends and family of HG :(
live 2 fly 2 live